Sausage struffer



Oct. 29, 1963 J. E. THOMPSON sAUsAGE sTuFFER Filed Dec. 26, 1961 m M E.

H TTENE Y S United States Patent Oiitice Chicago, Ill. N0. 162,294 17-39) This invention rela-tes to what is known in the meat industry as stuifers, and more in particular to a Idevice and method of introducing ground meat into casings, such as sausage casings, and cans.

Heretofore it has been the practice in sausage manufacture to grind or chop the meat to obtain the desired size reduction. Following this the meat is normally mixed in a separate machine to incorporate spices and 'Y to blend ground meat of different Some modern choppers adequately mix without performing this as a separate operation. Grinding, chopping and mixing tend to incorporate air. Mixing under vacuum is often used to remove some of the air, but air is reincorporated in the charging of the material into the stuler. When air is present in the stuler it is extruded with the meat under very high pressure and introduced from the stuer into the casing where immediate expansion takes place, which rips the casing and requires discontinuance of the operation.

An improved process appears in the Moses patents, Nos. 2,690,589 and 2,690,970. In the latter patent a process and apparatus is described wherein the ground meat is introduced into the cylinder and then subjected to a vacuum to remove the air. It is then forced out of the cylinder under pressure into the sausage casing. This apparatus and method has the disadvantage of pressing air into the meat when it is placed in the cylinder, which air is not removed completely by the application of the vacuum.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the lling of sausage casings and processing sausage meat wherein all of the air is removed from the meat, in the last operati-on before the meat is introduced into the casing so asto avoid any reentrainment of air.

It is another object of this invention to provide a process where the meat is blended and 'ground and then introduced into a cylinder, the air removed during the introduction into the cylinder and the meat then extruded under pressure through a normal 'stuling horn.

A further object of this invention is to provide an y meat is introduced into the apparatus and the air removedduring the introduction, and then the ground meat is extruded from the apparatus into a -stuinghorn The various features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this application. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a plan view partly in section showing the stulnng apparatus.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 showing the locking mechanism.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view on line 4-4 of FIG. l showing yhe intake plate.

of FIG. l,

3,103,319 Patented Get. 29, 1963 A stuler 10, shown in FIG. l, has a body portion 11 in the form of a cylinder. Within the cylinder 11 is a piston 12 retained in sliding engagement with the interior surface of the cylinder 11 and having sealing means 13, 13 thereon. A cap or closure member 14 is held in position by a releasable yoke 15 with the usual clamping arrangement 16, 16 on each side 'thereof and has the pressure member 17 operating in the cenlter portion of the yoke to force 'the cover member 14 into position and hold it in air-tight engagement with the upper pontion of the cylinder. The pressure member of the handle 18 operating through a screw (not shown) which will force the pressure member 17 downwardly. The cylinder 11 has the bottom plate 19 therein. The plate 19 has an opening therethrough through which the shaft 21 passes. This shaft has a locking means 20 operated by means of the shaft 21 and which is sealed by feeding element 22 to maintain this shaft in air-.tight engagement with ythe bottom plate 19. The shaft 21 is operated by the 'arm 23 so as .to aline the vanes 24, 24 with the openings 2S, 25 in .the bottom of the piston. These vanes when rotated overlap the inwardly projecting portions 26, 26 on Ithe bottom o the piston 12. The conduit 27 feeds into the chamber 2S piston and above the bottom plate. The conduit 27 leads 'to the 'i' 29, one side of the T being connected by means of the valve 30 to a source of air under pressure (not shown). The other side of :the T is connected by means of the conduit 31 to the valve 32 to a source of vacuum (not shown). The

the cap 14. vacuum by means of the valve 35. A conduit 36 opens into the chamber 34 through the cap 14 and has a perforated plate 37 thereover. This conduit has the valve means In operation the cap portion 14 is locked in position by means of the yoke 15 and :the pressure element 17. Valve 30 is closed -and the lower part of the piston is vented by opening valve 30 to allow the downwardly. This piston is duced into 'the chamber 34 above the piston 12 the vacuum line is closed oh by means of the valve 35, the handle 23 rotated to free the piston and the valve 30 opened to admit `compressed air below the piston forcing it upwardly. The finely comminuted meat is forced outwardly through the conduit 39 through the valve 40 and into the stuing horn 41 where it is introduced into the sausage Shins or other casings. When the piston has traveled the full distance and the ground meat 42 is extruded therefrom, the compressed air valve 30 is closed and the chamber below the piston is vented by means of the valve 30 Vallowing the piston 12 to move downwardly into the position shown in FIG. l. The piston is then locked by means of the handle 23 and the cycle is then ready 'to be repeated. It .is only necessary .to remove the cap portion 14 when it becomes desirable to clean the apparatus. The handle 18 is then rotated, raising the 17 is operated by means pressure member 17 and the yoke 15 may then be removed allowing the cap member 14 sto also be removed.

In the above description, ythe piston Iis moved upwardly by forcing compressed air below the piston and allowed to move downwardly by being vented to the atmosphere, and locked Vinto position. Then, the meat may be admitted by applying the vacuum to the upper pontion of the cylinder. Thereafter, the meat may be expelled by unlocking the piston and applying -air pressure below the piston. Also, while in the above description compressed air is used, it is of course understood, that any pressurized fluid will function, that is, water or oil may be used to force the piston upwardly after the charge of meat has been admitted.

Stuffers are generally wthin the range of 50 to 500 lbs. normal capacity. Almost exclusively large plants use the 500 lbs. size range in groups. f

In order to give specific examples of the process herein disclosed a 500 lb. stuffer was used and the charge was reduced to about 400 lbs. in order to allow free space above the cylinder. The vacuum required to satisfactorily remove entrapped air is in the order of 20 to 37 inches and in the following examples 24 inches are used. This will remove all of the air entrapped with the meat. In order to remove air in solution in the meat water it will be necessary to have an -absolute pressure of 0.25 inch which at a temperature of 40 F. would approach the boiling point of the water and cause the release of the air dissolved therein.

Example 1 Pork luncheon meat production for canning:

Assemble and weigh the meat ingredients, 400 lbs. Ground through 1/8 inch blade Put ground meat in the sausage mixer Add spices and curing material Mix for 3 minutes Transfer to the de-aerating stuier with 24 inches of vacuum in the de-aerating space \Extrude into cans.

Example 2 Linked pork sausage production:

Assemble and weigh the well chilled meat ingredients,

400 lbs.

Grind in one pass through a 2/16 inch blade Transfer to sausage mixer and add spices Mix a minimum amount of time of about 2 minutes Transfer to de-aerating stuffer, using 24 inches of vacuum in the de-aerating space. Stuff into sheep casings employing 80 lbs. pressure under the cylinder.

Low air pressure is required to prevent breakage of the small delicate natural casings.

Example 3 Frankfurter production:

Assemble and weigh the meat, spices and curing ingredients for 600 lbs. batch. Chop in a rotary cutter to form the thin cut meat emulsion and thoroughly mix the ingredients. Transfer directly to a hopper serving two or more de-aerating stuffers operating to provide a continuous stream of meat emulsion to multiple stuffing lines. De-aerate the meat as it enters the stuler by providing a vacuum of 24 inches in the de-aerating space, as the meat enters. Stuff into artificial casings with 120 lb. air pressure below the piston.

Examples 2 and 3 show the extremely high rate of pressure that may safely be employed with the de-aerating stuffer, in Example 2 above employing the delicate natural casings. The reason for this is the freedom from air and for this reason the meat cornes from the stuffer horn in easy gentle iow. The explosive nature of air extruded with meat under pressure is avoided by removing the air in the last step, that is in the stutter.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statute there has been illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of this invention, now known, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus and process disclosed without departing from .the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims, and that in some cases certain features of this invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

I claim:

1. A meat stuier, comprising in combination:

(a) a cylindrical body portion having a discharge means near a discharge end thereof,

(b) a piston movable within said body portion,

(c) locking means for holding said piston in a position retracted from the discharge end thereof,

(d) means for venting the space below said piston to allow the same to move downwardly and means for applying pressure to move it upwardly,

(e) means for applying a vacuum to the cylinder near the discharge end thereof,

(f) and a conduit for ladmitting comminuted meat to the cylinder in fine streams subjected to the vacuum applied to said cylinder.

2. A meat stuffer, comprising in combination:

(a) a cylindrical body portion having a discharge means near a discharge end thereof,

(b) a piston movable within said body portion,

(c) locking means for holding said piston in a position retracted from the discharge end thereof,

(d) means for applying pressure to move said piston upwardly,

(e) means for applying a vacuum the discharge end thereof,

(f) and a conduit for admitting comminuted meat to the cylinder in fine streams subjected to the vacuum applied lto said cylinder.

3. A meat stuffer, comprising in combination:

(a) a cylindrical body portion having a discharge means near a discharge end thereof,

(b) `a piston movable within said body pontion,

(c) locking means for holding said piston in a position retracted from the discharge end thereof,

(d) means for applying pressure to move said piston upwardly,

(e) means for applying a vacuum to the cylinder neat the discharge end thereof,

(f) and a conduit for admitting comminuted meat to the cylinder subjected to the vacuum applied to said cylinder.

to the cylinder near References VCited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION ?atent No. 3, 108,319 October 29L 1963 John E. Thompson It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 22, for l2O to 37" read 2O to 30 Signed and sealed this 17th day of November` 1964o SEA L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A MEAT STUFFER, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A CYLINDRICAL BODY PORTION HAVING A DISCHARGE MEANS NEAR A DISCHARGE END THEREOF, (B) A PISTON MOVABLE WITHIN SAID BODY PORTION, (C) LOCKING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID PISTON IN A POSITION RETRACTED FROM THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF, (D) MEANS FOR VENTING THE SPACE BELOW SAID PISTON TO ALLOW THE SAME TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY AND MEANS FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO MOVE IT UPWARDLY, (E) MEANS FOR APPLYING A VACUUM TO THE CYLINDER NEAR THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF, (F) AND A CONDUIT FOR ADMITTING COMMINUTED MEAT TO THE CYLINDER IN FINE STREAMS SUBJECTED TO THE VACUUM APPLIED TO SAID CYLINDER. 